The present invention relates to a cervical spinal immobilization device and, more particularly, to a device particularly adapted for use with emergency medical victims to immobilize the victim prior to extrication from, for example, a motor vehicle.
Because of recent interest in the emergency medical care field, new standards have been established for the proper prehospital handling of trauma patients in order to improve the patient's chances for recovery. Such proper handling requires rapid extrication of the patient from the accident situation and immediate transport to a medical facility for treatment. If a neck or spinal injury is suspected, the patient must be completely immobilized before extrication in order to reduce the severity of the injury and minimize the danger of paralysis.
Several spinal immobilization devices have been developed. Generally, these devices comprise short or long spine boards which are used in association with other devices such as cervical collars, body harnesses or straps.
One example of a short spine board is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,209 to Behrens et al. This device comprises an arcuately formed board which is shaped to conform with the human body. The board is contoured into portions which approximately outline the patient's head, shoulders, and main body, with the length of the main body portion being sufficient to support the entire torso of the patient. The board is also designed so that a cervical collar may be used in association with the board to provide immobilization when a neck injury is indicated.
Another short spine board is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,748 to Winner. This device comprises a board which extends from the head to the crotch of the patient and includes an inflatable head immobilizer which is placed against the sides of the head and secured thereto by a head strap. The device is further provided with chest and crotch straps to secure the patient to the board for transport.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,654 to Sherman discloses a short spine board system comprising in combination a short spine board and a body vest. The spine board extends upward from the base of the patient's spine and fits inside a pocket formed in the vest. The vest is provided with shoulder and waist straps which wrap around the patient to form the vest.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,861 to Vincent discloses an inflatable spinal support having head and body straps which secure a patient to the support to immobilize the patient's spine during transport. The spinal support generally extends from the top of the head to the base of the patient's spine, but may be of a length greater than the height of the patient.
Another spinal support device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,453 to Dixon et al. This device comprises a splint board which extends from the bottom of the spine to the head of the patient. The board is provided with head and body harnesses which hold the patient's head and torso in position against the splint.
Previous spinal supports suffer from several disadvantages. These supports generally extend from the patient's head to the base of the spine or longer, making them difficult to use when the patient is in a tightly confined area, such as a crushed vehicle. Also, many of the spinal supports are designed to be used in conjunction with a cervical collar when neck injuries are indicated. Such cervical collars, it has been shown, do not effectively immobilize the head and neck. In addition, the use of a cervical collar prevents access to the major arteries and veins in the neck, and must be removed if a tracheotomy must be performed.
Another disadvantage of prior art spinal supports is that they often employ only a single head strap and a single body strap. This limited number of straps may not be enough to effectively immobilize the patient. Further, treatment of other injuries to the head or body may be necessary which would require loosening or undoing the strap during treatment. When only two straps are employed, removal of one of the straps to permit additional treatment invites substantial risk of patient movement, leading to increased damage to the spinal cord.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a cervical support device which is shorter than prior art spinal boards and thus easier to maneuver, even in confined situations. The device of the present invention generally extends from the top of the head to the mid-back of an average-sized adult patient rather than to the base of the spine or crotch as in prior art devices. It is further an object of the present invention to provide a cervical support which substantially completely immobilizes the head and neck region of a patient without the need for a cervical collar.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cervical support which provides effective immobilization of the patient while still permitting treatment of other injuries the patient may have suffered. A further object of the present invention is to provide a cervical support which may be used with patients of varying size without alternations or modifications in the support.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.